How to Prepare Pikeperch for Wigilia (Polish Christmas Eve)
Wigilia Pikeperch – Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kgfresh pikeperch
- 8–10 berriesallspice
- a dozen or socloves
- 8–10 berriesblack pepper
- to tastesalt and pepper
- 1 tablespoondried basil
- 2–3 tablespoonsbutter
- 1/2 cupgrated horseradish
- 2large onions
- 2lemons
Instructions
Grind the allspice, cloves, and pepper in a mortar (or crush them in a bag with a rolling pin).
Wash and clean the pikeperch, then cut it into steaks. Rub with salt and basil, then refrigerate for an hour.
Grease an oven-proof dish with oil or butter, arrange the fish pieces on the bottom, and sprinkle with the ground spices and horseradish.
Cover the fish with slices of lemon and onion, and add a few small pieces of butter.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 40 minutes.
Serve with potatoes or bread and fresh lettuce.
Czas czytania: 4 minuty
Table of Contents:
- Pikeperch – Characteristics
- Wigilia Pikeperch Recipe
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- How to Prepare Pikeperch for Wigilia?
Pikeperch is a light, easily digestible fish that’s naturally low in fat — a great alternative to carp for Wigilia, the traditional Polish Christmas Eve supper eaten on December 24th. It’s well worth adding to your table not just for the holidays, but at least once a week throughout the year. What makes this fish so good for you, and is spiced pikeperch really worth a spot on your Wigilia menu? Read on to find out.
Pikeperch – Characteristics
Pikeperch is a predatory fish belonging to the perch family. Amateur anglers sometimes dismiss it as a „dumb” fish, but that’s not entirely fair — pikeperch only thrive in clean waters, since they need plenty of oxygen to survive.
That’s a crucial point, because pikeperch depend on high oxygen levels to live normally. On top of that, this fish is quick to abandon any body of water as soon as the ecological conditions start to decline.
In the wild, pikeperch can grow up to 130 cm long and weigh as much as 18 kg. That said, the fish most commonly caught are no longer than 65 cm and weigh no more than 3.5 kg.
Wigilia Pikeperch Recipe
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
- 8 TO 10 ALLSPICE BERRIES
- A DOZEN OR SO CLOVES
- 8 TO 10 DRIED BLACK PEPPERCORNS
- 1 KG FRESH PIKEPERCH
- SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
- 1 TABLESPOON DRIED BASIL
- 2 TO 3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER
- HALF A CUP OF GRATED HORSERADISH
- 2 LARGE ONIONS
- 2 LEMONS
How to Prepare Pikeperch for Wigilia?
- In a mortar, grind together the allspice, cloves, and pepper. Alternatively, put everything in a bag and crush it with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Wash and clean the pikeperch, then cut it into steaks (rounds). Rub the pieces with salt and basil, and leave them in a cool place for an hour.
- Grease an oven-proof dish with oil or butter. Line the bottom with the pieces of pikeperch and sprinkle with the ground spice mix and grated horseradish.
- Cover the fish with slices of lemon (scrubbed beforehand); the onion should also be sliced and placed on top of the lemon. You can add a few small pieces of butter as well.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil or a matching lid. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the dish for about 40 minutes.
- Serve the fish with potatoes or bread, topped with fresh green lettuce.
This dish certainly isn’t among the cheapest, especially if you buy the fish right before Wigilia. Still, Christmas only comes once a year, so price shouldn’t be the main factor when setting the table for December 24th. Things like the atmosphere, having the whole family together, and the gifts under the tree matter just as much.